Car-coupling



(No Model.) I

E. A. DE MAY.

- OAR COUPLING.

No. 367,197. Patented July 26, 1887.

. WITNESSES: QT INVENTOR: J6). [Syn/ 1,5 lfin BY mm @MM i ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE A. DE MAY, OE RICHMOND, TEXAS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 367,197, dated July 26, 1887.

Application filed June 3, 1887. Serial No. 240,1l8. (No model.)

To all whom it 71mg concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE A. DE MAY, of Richmond, in the county of Fort Bend and State of Texas, have invented a new'and Improved Car-Coupling, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the annexed drawings, forming a part thereof, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved car-coupling. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing one of the coupling-hooks withdrawn and'the other in the position of use; and Fig. 3 isa simple and effective coupling for use upon freightcars, for automatically coupling the cars.

My invention consists in a shaft journaled at its lower end in the ordinary draw-bar and at its upper end in a bracket secured to the top of the car, and in the combination therewith of a brace attached to the draw-bar, adapted to support the lower end of said shaft, a hook placed between the brace and the draw-bar, and a spring surrounding the shaft and arranged to hold the shaft and hook normally in the position of use. 1

It also further consists in the combination, with the hook, of a spring-actuated uncouplingrod extending through a bracket at the side of the car and a retaininglatch pivoted to the car and adapted to holdthe said rod in a retracted position.

Thedraw-bar A is of the ordinary construction, and is attached to the timbers of the car B in the usual way. The hole a in the drawbar, which usually receives the coupling-pin,

' is enlarged to receive the shaft 0, which extainin g the shaft 0 and parts carried thereby. The lower end of the shaft'O isjournaled in a brace, H, which is offset and secured to the underside of the draw-bar. Between the brace H and the draw-bar A a hook, I, is secured on the shaft 0. The point of the said hook projects beyond the end of the draw-bar, and is provided with a beveled face, b. Upon the back of the hook is formed an-apertured ear, 0, which receives a hook, d, formed on the end of the rod J. The rod J extends through an apertured bracket, K, attached to the end of the car, at the corner thereof, and is provided with a loop, e, forming a handle by which the rod may be operated. Between the bracket K and the ear 0, and upon the rod J, is placed a spiral spring, f, which tends to press the hook forward into the position of use.

At the side of the car is pivoted a latch, L, formed with an arm, 9, carrying on its free end a half-sleeve, h, which is capable of shutting'down over the outer end of the rod J, between the loop a and the bracket K, thus holding the rod J and hook I in a retracted position, so that the said hook will not engage the corresponding book of an adjacent car.

When it is desired to put the coupling into position for use, the latch L is withdrawn from the rod J, when the springf pushes the hook I forward, so that it may engage with the corresponding hook of the adjacent car.

\Vhen it is desired to prevent the engagement of the hooks I while the train is in motion, and it is inconvenient to operate the hooks by the rods J, the trainman at the top of the car can prevent the engagement of the hooks by pushing downward the shaft Oagainst the pressure of the spring G, thereby bringing the hook I out of the path of the hook of the adjoining car.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the draw-bar A, of the brace H, secured to the draw-bar, the shaft 0, j ournaled in the drawbar and in the brace, the bracket D, supporting the upper end of the shaft 0, the hook I, attached to the shaft 0 and provided with the apertured ear 0, the rod J, connected with the ear, the bracket K, secured to the car, and the spring f, surrounding the rod J, abutting against the bracket K and arranged to press the coupling-hook I forward, substantially as described.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination of the draw-bar A, the bracket D, the shaft 0, journaled in the draw-bar and bracket and provided with the collar F, the spring G, placed between the collar and the draw-bar, the hook I, secured to the shaft O, between the brace H and drawbar A, and provided with the apertured ear 0 and beveled end 0, the rod J, provided with the hook (I, engaging the ear 0, and having the loop 0 formed on the outer end thereof, the bracket K, supporting the rod J, 15 the springf, placed upon the rod J between the bracket K and the ear 0, and the latch L, provided with the halfsleeve h, adapted to engage the rod J, substantially as described.

EUGENE A. DE MAY.

Witnesses:

L. B. JUNIK, A. D. MoNa'rr. 

